Monday, 5 June 2017

Common Darters emerging early

Two species have been added in the last week, with Black-tailed Skimmers seen at Stonepit Quarry by Doug Goddard and Bainton Nature Reserve (John Showers). Darryl Sutcliffe reports a good early emergence of Common Darters at Carey Fields in Northampton. This is an early, but not unprecedented date for what is essentially a late summer / autumn species. The earliest date we have is 31 May, but that was a single adult and not the synchronised emergence that Darryl saw.On 3 June, I held a dragonfly training course for the Wildlife Trust BCN Wildside project at Ditchford Lakes. Along with the usual species, we found 50+ Emperor exuviae and saw several adults both at territory and in the meadows. There was no sign of any Scarce Chasers on the river following John Showers' report of an adult here recently, so this must have a a transient adult, possibly from Irthlingborough. Several Hairy Dragonflies were present, with males at territory and in the meadows.Elsewhere, numbers of White-legged Damselflies are building on the Welland and River Ise.